The Student Government Association is doing what they can to help students add travel to their education.

SGA, and in particular their Academic Affairs committee, is doing this by working with various programs at WKU.

They are offering Study Away, Study Abroad, and Student Teach Abroad scholarships. They also have the Scholar Development Grant.

At last Tuesday’s meeting, SGA approved a bill regarding Study Away scholarships. The bill will allocate $500 from general senate funding to create five $100 Study Away scholarships. The bill  states that the scholarships can be used during the January and spring semesters.

 Academic Affairs Committee Head Brittany Crowley and another senator in the Academic Affairs Committee, Tyler Harris, said they look at a number of things when deciding who will receive any of the various scholarships offered.

They look at leadership positions the applicants have held, things they’ve accomplished, their GPA, and the relevance of the scholarship to their course of study.

Other important aspects of their decision include the essay and recommendations that are part of the students’ applications.

Crowley has been working on the committee since last fall while Harris has been involved since the spring.

Crowley also said that the Student Teach Abroad Scholarship is new. The scholarship is for people who plan to complete a portion of their required student teaching abroad.

Education majors are required to do student teaching, and WKU allows students to spend a few weeks teaching in other countries to help fulfill that requirement.

“SGA and the Academic Affairs Committee thought this would be a great addition to the scholarships we already provide,” Crowley said.

The Scholar Development Grant is for people who need funding to further their resumes. Crowley said people seek this funding for projects, to attend conventions, or for certain supplies or materials.

So far the SGA has received about a dozen applications total.

“We expect many, many more though,” Crowley said.

Crowley said that the Study Away scholarship recipients will be chosen by the Study Away office and approved by SGA.

SGA Executive Vice President Kendrick Bryan said that he is involved because he works with both Academic Affairs and the Study Away office.

“Last year, I read about Study Away in a press release and brought the information to the attention of the Academic Affairs committee,” Bryan said. “It was a group decision to provide scholarships.”

 Bryan said SGA hopes the Study Away Scholarship recipients will get the money by mid-November.